I'd be willing to bet my next paycheck that cash/credit trends would generally follow the cycle of the broader economy with few surprises -- though I understand

I'd be willing to bet my next paycheck that cash/credit trends would generally follow the cycle of the broader economy with few surprises -- though I understand viscerally your (very human) impulse to say we'd find cash reserves falling steadily over the years. After all, the reason economic expansion (above and beyond productivity growth) happens is because companies and people are extended credit, and companies and people take credit because they don't have the cash on hand. And of course when this momentum cannot be maintained, recession. To your point, however, I'd also be willing to bet that the largest companies actively consider the current "bailout culture" in decisions concerning their broader strategy.